Mumbai: The state Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted under the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), visited the BMC headquarters on Monday and collected information pertaining to the three preliminary enquiries (PEs) opened in the alleged scams in the BMC during the Covid-19 pandemic.
While the first PE pertains to ₹206 crore additional expenses to acquire Dahisar land, the second PE pertains to the alleged corruption of ₹200 crore in the information technology, road and traffic departments and the third is regarding more than 60 works worth ₹5,000 crore in the roads department and five related departments of the civic body. In the first PE, the Dahisar land was originally marked for public amenities in the Development Plan (DP).
The five-member team headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police Sangramsinh Nishandar visited the DP department and collected the files. It also sought clarification on information it already has, and met Joint Commissioner (Improvement) Ramesh Pawar, who is also the nodal officer between the BMC and the SIT on the alleged Covid-19 scam in the civic body.
FIR to be filed if documents reveal any corruption
A senior police official said the EOW started the probe by registering three preliminary inquiries (PEs) and action would be taken by registering an FIR if the documents reveal any corruption. He said documents for all PEs are being collected and will be separated and examined, including the signatories. A PE means a fact finding enquiry in the nature of an investigation into any complaint or report, before initiating a regular inquiry.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the BMC has noted that land measuring 32,395 sqmt acquired at Eksar Village in Dahisar was overvalued by ₹206 crore due to incorrect application of rates. The land was reserved in the DP to set up public amenities in 1993.
CAG report alleged delay in land acquisition led to price escalation
The CAG report also alleged that a delay of eight years in land acquisition led to price escalation by 716%. While the proposal was moved in 2011, it was acquired only in 2020. The CAG report also observed that the then civic chief in 2019 opposed the acquisition but the Improvement Committee gave a nod that year, followed by an approval by the general body in January 2020.
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